Even routine practices, such as the assembly-line production of documents in real estate closings, have become a minefield as banks sue their own lawyers over soured loans.
But Canon is hardly the only firm to shift from assembly-line to small production cells.
At the beginning of his mass-production assembly line, Ford was producing one complete, fully functional car every 90 minutes.
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Soon Ford was developing the assembly line, which would boost production from 20, 000 Model T's in 1910 to 600, 000 six years later.
Technologies such as the assembly line were less important for making production faster than for making it cheaper, and laborers more replaceable.
They may not look inspiring, but deep in the recesses of their brains they have these little ideas--a fast-food restaurant concept no one has ever anticipated, an assembly-line innovation that can lower production costs by 50%, a retirement-plan wrinkle to save everyone's 401(k)--and, someday, assuming they can find their toothbrushes amid the stash of moisturizing-cream bottles in their travel bags, they are going to realize their dreams.
The expansion incorporates a fully-automated assembly line for air handling units and four production lines for ductless air-conditioning and heating systems.
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Maruti Suzuki is currently adding to its production at Manesar, where a third assembly line for 250, 000 vehicles a year will go on stream before 2014.
Employees directly involved in the production of what a company makes think assembly-line workers are generally entitled to overtime.
The company is late in introducing flexible manufacturing, which allows production of three or more vehicle types on a single assembly line.
He dives into meetings with plant managers and squeezes in a quick tour of a retooled assembly line where the new Nissan Note, a European subcompact, has just started production.
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